In coffee producing, women make up 43% of the agricultural labor force, yet have 54% less access to resources and opportunities when compared to those of their male counterparts. And according to Bean Voyage, an organization seeking to increase equity for women in coffee production, closing the gender gap could “unlock 20-30% increase in yield.” To work toward achieving that goal, Bean Voyage is putting on the Womxn-Powered Coffee Summit, a two-day educational event in Costa Rica to connect roasters and traders with some of the country’s smallholder women producers.
Taking place August 11th and 12th in San José, Costa Rica, the two-day event will feature panels, talks, cuppings, and film screenings led by some of the female leaders from across the specialty coffee industry. Speakers include Wrecking Ball’s Trish Rothgeb, 2019 Costa Rica Barista Champion Maria Elena Rivera, Women in Coffee Project’s Amaris Gutierrez-Ray (interviewed here as part of the Sprudge Twenty), and third generation producer, roaster, and barista Joselyn Fallas, amongst others.
The discussions will focus on issues affecting specialty coffee from the perspectives of women. Panel topics include “Supply Chain From the Perspective of Smallholder Women to Women Coffee Roasters” and “Building the Negotiating Table—What has it Meant for Young and Independent Coffee Producers to Work in the Billion Dollar Coffee Industry.” There will also be a roaster round table and a conversation with the makers of the documentary Mas Que Un Cafe, which will be screened later on in the session. There will also be a cupping of the 2021-22 harvest of coffees from Costa Rica.
Spots for the Womxn-Powered Coffee Summit are extremely limited, and the RSVP deadline is fast approaching, July 25th. To learn more or to reserve your spot, visit Bean Voyage’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
